[ Post a Response | The SteelNavy.Com Message Board ]
Posted by Randy Stone on March 16, 2026, 17:18:44, in reply to "Re: Who needs USN Minesweepers now? Who made the choice to mothball them?"
...the yuan could partially supplant the dollar wrt oil; reportedly between 11 and 17 million barrels have transited Hormuz for China since February 28th, paid for strictly in yuan.
Should the yuan profit from this war--by way of China, India, Turkey and other states sidestepping the dollar in favor of the yuan--it will be the result of an unforced error which will cost the United States dearly, and rather quickly I might add.
And this wholly aside from the fact that Taiwan--whatever your geopolitical outlook--is, strategically speaking, being hung out to dry by this latest escapade, this time in the Middle East.
RS 
Previous Message
If China doesn’t take full advantage of this mess, they aren’t half as smart as I think they are. 1) Get Iran to stop shooting. 2) Get the GCC to expel all western forces and take over those bases. 3) Install air defenses to keep Israel out of Iran. 4) Buy all the oil they need. Zheng He 2.0. And the US will have just handed it to them! Previous Message
Normal minehunters cannot operate now in the Strait of Hormuz - the US Navy is still not able to escort ships through the strait. Likely, no USN ships operate so close to Iran.
The decision to ship the minehunters back was made by the same administration, which now asks other countries for help to clean up the mess, which it caused there.
Responses